The Digital House Hunt: The New Home Buyer Path to Purchase

The Internet changed the way we live, and certainly the way we shop. Amazon and eBay revolutionized consumerism with the exploitation of e-commerce.

It’s only natural that house-hunting has followed suit and generated a new home buyer path to purchase. According to Pew Research Center, about nine-in-ten Americans own a smartphone, and when they’re ready to begin the search for a new home, they tap away at their omnipresent phone. The National Association of Realtors reported that 97% of homebuyers used the internet in their home search.

Today’s home builders recognize how important it is for a buyer to have a more interactive experience. Videos and virtual tours of homes and new home communities used to be an option on their websites, but now these digital assets are vital.

The New Home Buyer Path to Purchase

Rob Krohn, Epcon Communities’ digital marketing manager, was recently interviewed by the Columbus Dispatch on the topic of the digital house hunt. He talked about the use of advanced technology—like virtual reality—to give homebuyers the experience of walking through their new home.

“At a conference last summer, I talked about going out in a grass field, a cornfield, and being able to virtually see the home on the property you’re standing on, and walking around it and ‘sitting’ on the back porch to enjoy the view. It was only a month later and a different builder announced that they have that capability now.”

Rob says Epcon Communities has been keeping ahead of the curve with digital marketing. With the company’s national reach, they are dealing with many buyers who rely on the virtual view.

“Our homes are built all over the country, but you’re only looking at a home in one part of the country,” Rob explained. “In central Ohio, our designers who do our model homes are more progressive. They use bolder colors and modern furniture. But in other parts of the country, they may be more traditional, with beige walls and more traditional furniture. We need to be able to show buyers what that looks like, as well.”

Shoppers have become accustomed to gathering all the information they need from online resources. They use this insight to narrow down their choices, so builders who don’t supply enough content on their websites might never know how many prospective homebuyers they’ve lost as a result.

“The more information you can provide a buyer, the better off you are. People want to see what they want to buy.” This has become the new home buyer path to purchase.

Epcon Communities

If you’re considering the purchase of a new home, visit Epcon Communities’ website and explore our communities and floorplans, as well as the low-maintenance lifestyle that our homeowners appreciate so much.